Metallurgical furnace



Sept. 24, 1929. B. TALBOT 1,729,230

METALLURG'ICAL FURNACE Filed Deo. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l sept. 24, 1929. B, TALBOT 1,729,230

METALLURGI CAL FURNACE Filed Deo. 19, 1927-` 2 sneets-shet 2 Invehf'ornzw;

Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METALLURGICAL FURNACE Application led December 19, 1927, Serial No. 241,010, and in Belgium June 30, 1927.

Y This invention relates to metallurgical furnaces such, for example, as described in co-pending United States Patent Application Serial No. 5,981, in which the furnace has separate from its main hearth and at one or both ends thereof one or more baths for melting metal or keeping metal or slag molten, the bath or bathsbeing heatedby waste gases from the furnace.

Accordingto the present invention such baths are arranged to be translationally movable in the longitudinal direction from and towards the furnace to permit the gas and air ports connecting the main furnace hearth l5 with the auxiliary baths to be withdrawn for repair or replacement, the throat containing the gas and air ports being preferably formed for this purpose as a unitary structure. The same construction of translationally movable baths enables the main hearth, in the case of a. tilting furnace (to which, as well as to fixed furnaces, the invention is applicable),

to be tilted independently of the rest of the furnace structure.

The auxiliary baths are usually provided with gas ports for the supply of combustible gas by means of which the temperature of the bath chamber is raised by burning such gas either with a fraction of the air passing from the main air regenerator to the main furnace hearth, or with an independent air supply introduced through suitably disposed air inlets and ports.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a tilting reversible regenerative furnace, but it will be understood that this particular embodiment of the invention is given by way of example only, and that it may also be applied to other types of metallurgical furnaces, e. g. to fixed or tilting furnaces in which the flow of the furnace gases is unidirectional, as well as those in which the flow is reversible.

In these drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal section and a sectional plan of a reversible regenerative furnace provided with an auxiliary bath at either end of the main furnace, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of one end of a modified furnace.

The main furnace 1 is mounted in the known manner upon tracks 2 carried by the fixed supports 3, so that it can be rocked or tilted about the horizontal axis ofi'its end openings et so as to permit its charge to be teemed from the spout 5. Each of the auxiliaryfbaths or heating chambers 6 communicates with the main hearth 1 through a unitary throat struc` ture 7 in which are formed the ports 10, 11 through which the maingas and lair supplies pass to the main hearth from the gas and air regenerators 14 and 8 respectively. n

Each of the chambers 6 is provided with a gas port 9 adapted to direct a stream of gas through the chamber into the air supply passing from the air regenerator 8 to the main air port ofthe furnace 1, the direction of this stream of gas being substantially parallel with the flow of the air supply. Only one 0f these gas ports is as a rule in use at one time,` namely the one which is situated at the inlet end for the time being of the main furnace. Further, each chamber may be furnished with another gas port 9 oppositely disposed to the port 9 and adapted to direct a stream of gas across the auxiliary chamber 6 towards the duct leading to the air regenerator 8. Only that one of the ports 9 which is at the outlet end for the time being of the main fur-Y nace is as a rule in use at a given time, and it is to be understood that even this port need not always be used, rThe port 9 is supplied with combustible gas from any suitable source through a gas duct 92 and it is also usually desirable to provide an auxiliary air port'90, connected with an auxiliary air supply duct 93, adjacent to the gas port 9 so as to ensure the combustion of the gas supplied to the port should .the free oxygen in the Waste gases from the main hearth be insuiiicient.

Assuming that the left-hand end of the furnace is the inlet end, the gas supply to gas port 9 at that end would be turned on and the ame due to the ignition of the gas would then heat up still more the hot air coming from air regenerator 8, while the gas and air 95 supply to ports 9 and 90 in the left-hand chamber 6 would be cut off. At the righthand end the gas supply to port 9 would preferably be cut off while usually, although not necessarily, the gas and air supply to ports 9 100 of the furnace and thence to the stack direct or first to any other device, such as a waste heat boiler, in which they can be stillfurther utilized. j Y

The auxiliary baths 6, which are provided with lateral teeming spouts 12, are each mounted upon a base 13 which can be shifted longitudinally with respect to the main hearth, with which object in view the base is preferably mounted on wheels or rollers 15 running on suitably supported rails or tracks indicated at 16. Escape of air and gas or of waste gases is prevented by providing suitable seals, e. g. water seals 17, 18 at the junction of the fixed and movable portions of the ducts leading from the air regenerator 8 and gas regenerator 14 respectively.

The separate throat portion 7 of the furnace structure is provided with water-cooled chills 19, 20 and similar water-cooled chills 19, 20 are provided at the contiguous ends of the main furnace and auxiliary bath respectively. These throat oints are kept tight by any suitable mechanical means applied to the outer end 13 of the base or carriage 13 to move the latter carrying the auxiliary hearths towards and from their advanced or working position. The exposed edges of the throat structures separating the air and gas ports are preferably provided with watercooled chills 21.

To remove a throat 7 for replacement or repair it is merely necessary to move back the carriage 13 slightly, whereupon the throat can be lifted bodily out of position and another putin its place.

In the case of a tilting furnace such as illustrated, when it is desired to teem the main hearth charge from the spout 5 or tiltthe main hearth for any purpose, all that is necessary is to ease the two joints 19, 19 at either end of the furnace by retracting the carriages 13 slightly. As this operation is of frequent occurrence it is preferred to dispense with clamps at the joints 19, 19. but to provide them at the joints 20, 20', so that the throat sections will be retracted with the auxiliary hearths when the main hearth is to be tilted.

Should the furnace be heated with coke i oven gas, oil gas or natural gas' instead of move with the auxiliary hearth 6. The gas supply to the main furnace may be introduced to the main gas port through one or more lateral pipes or chiots 24.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim 1. In metallurgical furnaces of the character herein described, an auxiliary bath atl one end of the main hearth and separate therefrom but connected therewith by fiues and longitudinally movable relative to the main furnace hearth.

2. In metallurgical furnaces of the character herein described, an auxiliary bath at each end of the main hearth and separa-te therefrom but connected therewith by fines and longitudinally movable relative to the main hearth. f

3. In metallurgical furnaces according to claim 1, a removable unitary throat section interposed between the main hearth and the auxiliary bath, substantially as described.

4. Metallurgical furnaces according to claim 2, wherein each auxiliary bath is provided with two gas ports oppositely directed across the bath chamber in a longitudinal direction with respect to the main hearth.

5. Metallurgical furnaces according to claim 2, wherein each auxiliary bath is provided with an air port and a gas port directed across the bath chamber in a longitudinal direction away from the main hearth.

6. Metallurgical furnaces according to claim 2, wherein each auxiliary bath is provided with an air port and a gas port directed across the bath chamber in a longitudinal direction away from the main hearth, and a i second gas port directed across the bath chamber in a longitudinal direction towards the main hearth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BENJAMIN TALBOT. 

